Almost Easy

As Jimmy neared the bus, Matt's words were still on loop in his head. He concluded that it was too much to decipher using one tired head and decided three would be better. As soon the toe of his shoe was placed on the first narrow step, two sets of eyes focused on him.

"Yes, The Rev found Matt. No, The Rev did not talk to Matt.” Zacky's open mouth closed, Jimmy's statement had answered his initial question but raised another. This time, when his lips parted to question, he was met with an audible sigh from the drummer as he slumped into the couch next to Zack; he pressed his lips together figuring his friend already knew what would spill from his mouth.

"Didn't talk to him cuz he was throwing things about and punching the wall and yelling, swearing, screaming, you name it. He was, just... Being how Matt is right now. But then he started saying stuff, like, having a go at himself or some shit, I felt it better to leave in one piece."

"Well, w-what. What did he- what was he saying?” Johnny asked with a slightly confused and worried expression etched into his features.

Jimmy recalled what Matt said in his mind:
"Fucking sort yourself out! You can't have what you don't deserve! Though he's well out of your league. Fuck! Why does everything have to be so difficult? First sign of a problem, you immediately jump to using your fists, asshole. Literally put your fist thorough it and fuck everything up more! You've screwed everything up Matt... Your friends hate you, they don't want to know you, your girlfriend hates you, she don't want a screw up like you either, even you hate you! God damn it!

"Pretty much that he can't have what he doesn't deserve, something’s out of his... uhh.. his league? I think he said. Or someone is, i'm not sure. Uhmm... Said something about putting his fist through everything and fucking things up more. Then he said that we hate him and Val hates him and that none of us want to know him--"

"Well he got that one right, fucking asshole!” Johnny received glares from the others but Zack's soon softened to a frown.

"Johnny... seriously. Just, fucking... Shut up and go back to your sulking if you're not gonna be helpful. But, it sounds like that's where the problem could be, Val."

"But I’m still so pissed! He wrecked my... fuck, he wrecked everything of everyone’s!” The stares continued, Johnny looked between to two and sighed, "Sorry man, so, you think Val has a clue why he's acting like this?"

Jimmy was thoughtful for a moment, "I'll bet.” He reminded his two band mates what happened the first day of tour. They were all in agreement that something must have happened when they heard a groan from the bunks followed by the other guitarist.

"What the fuck happened?” He mumbled semi-incoherently, a hand raised to his ribcage again. The other three were sympathetic, and as Johnny ‘kindly’ put it,

"You, look, like shit.” Tired eyes glared into the bassists,

"Do not."

"Uhh, ya do man. Ya really do.” Johnny insisted. Brian stood partially straight, just staring for a moment. You could almost see the cogs in his brain slowly whirring, attempting to conjure up some sort of come back,

"I know you are but what am i?" He shot back, not caring that it made no sense. To Johnny's raised eyebrow that clearly commented, 'seriously? WTF?’ Brian decided he'd won that and stuck his tongue out at the seated man. With a slightly smug grin tugging on his lips, he made his way to the little bathroom.

"OH MY GOD! I DO LOOK LIKE SHIT! What the hell..." Brian returned, "I'll ask again, what happened? This hurts so bad!" Brian winced, clutching onto the door-frame. "Fuck what happened, why does it all hurt? It wasn't like this yesterday! I think that Doctor is trying to kill me!" He managed through gritted teeth; he was now starting to take deep gasping breaths as he felt his lungs were restricting his breathing.

"Dude, calm down, don't panic. Come. Sit." Jimmy urged, "Your ribs are broken remember? And your face... well, nothing a little make-up can't hide." The drummer ushered the Brian to the couch and helped his cautiously shrink down into the soft cushion.

"Actually, you'll need a lot of make-up to cover that shit! Your face is messed up bro!" Johnny received glares again with the addition of a cushion haphazardly lobbed from Brian's hand. The guitarist clearly hadn't thought about the consequences of lifting his arm, the cushion completely missed its target and the action left the thrower cursing and groaning in pain causing focus to leave Johnny's helpless antics and return to the injuries their friend had acquired over the past couple of days.

"I'll go get the meds the hospital gave him, i think they're still in the car." Zacky announced.

"Fucking great idea, asshole! Go hurry the fuck up and do that!"

"Or maybe i won't..." Zack trailed off, slowing to a halt just to hear his cocky friend beg.

"No no no! Please! I need them! Zacky, I love you! I'll do anything, I'll- I'll suck your dick! I promise! Just please please please please make the pain go away! Please Zacky, you know you're my favourite and you're a better guitarist than me and- and you're prettier too! Zacky, my love, plea- ahh fuck! Man seriously this really hurts, you wouldn't wanna leave a bro hangin' now wouldja..." The whining, desperate plea soon gave way and that cocky guitarist was back, but his right-sided smirk soon dissolved into a full-on Haner pout when Zacky still didn't move, "pweaaaaase..." Zack huffed,

"Fine! You know that look kills me!" Brian chuckled and grinned in triumph, his pain momentarily ignored now relief was in sight.

--------

After Brian had taken his painkillers, he just sat there expectantly, every now and then complaining 'the doctors are pompous morons and the pills don't work, they're trying to kill me'. As his yawning became more frequent and the weight of a head on Zack's shoulder became more noticeable along with the whining subsiding, Zack prompted Brian to go back to bed,

"Goddamn, that's the best thing I’ve heard all day, scratch that, painkillers was the best thing. Actually no... that was the second best thing and bed is the third... yeah." The guitarist mumbled making his friends' eyebrows either furrow or raise in question.

"Might i ask what be the first then?" Jimmy cautiously questioned. Brian looked over his shoulder; Synyster Gates was back with that cocky smirk present for a brief moment before feigned innocence took place.

"Sucking Zack's dick, of course." He replied with a shrug as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Sending a glance toward Zack's widened eyes the troublesome smirk rose again as Brian disappeared into the bunk area. Johnny and Jimmy glanced at each other and then at Zack before erupting into laughter.

"Fuck off guys! I actually think he might be serious!"

"Can never be sure with Syn I guess, I’m gonna make sure he gets settled." Jimmy voiced before he too disappeared into the bunk area.

------

As soon as Jimmy walked into the main area, Zack suggested they phone Val,

“Yeah, we need to get to the bottom of this, just like Syn's gonna get to the 'bottom' of Zack later when we Hotel.” Johnny piped up and sniggered, Zack just shot him evils and lazily flipped him off, “Jim, I think you’d be best to phone her, she always tells you what’s going on.”

“So did Matt and i'm not sharing with Brian after that comment.”

“Theres so much I could say leading on from young Seward's words and Master Gates words, but, all joking aside. Zack, you got a point, and Val IS more likely to open up to me, she'd never refuse to answer me, not now not ever.” Jimmy states with a proud smile as he patted each body part in search for his phone.

“It’s not gonna be tucked away with your dick or up your ass man…. Nor in your shoe….. Seriously Rev? I doubt Johnny’s got it either, dude… put him down! .... Its over there!” Zacky thrust his hand towards the kitchen counter where the little device was situated.

“Ah-ha! Found you!” Jimmy grasped the little object in a vice like grip, holding it in the air victoriously before he brought it in front of his face, punched in Val’s name and hit call, “Oooh! Oh my god! It’s alive! It rings—Oh heeeeey Val….. No, I’m absolutely fine, how are you?... Oh really, that’s great…. What did she do?... Hahaha, silly mutt, that dog is definitely Matt's. Oh, how’s Michelle doing, ya know, with Brian breaking up with her before tour… I know it was a while ago but you ladies don’t get over these things qui— Okay okay, haha I’m sorry, i won't be sexist. I know you think he’s a jerk but c’mon… she was spending all his money and she was quite a bitch to him.... She wasn’t very nice, you saw the scratches and bruises and shit…. Exactly!” As Jimmy rambled in a casual conversation with his long time friend, Zacky was growing impatient, he kicked Jimmy’s leg as the taller man walked by; pacing was normal for the drummer when he was on the phone. Jimmy raised an eyebrow at his friend sitting down to rub at his ankle, Zack whispered ‘Ask her about Matt, idiot’ reminding Jim what he called for.

“Put it on loud speaker so we all hear, you’ll probably forget what she said.” The bassist noted. As Jimmy did so he started the conversation up again,

“Listen, Val. I kinda phoned for a reason…”

“Oh and here’s me thinking you wanted to chat with your bestest girl friend!”

“Haha I'm sorry. Don’t think Matt would like me referring to you as my girlfriend though.”

“Uhgh, Matt can go fuck himself.” Val answered sourly, the boys on the other end of the line all frowned,

“What happened?”

“Why don’t you ask that screwed up singer of yours. I don’t wanna talk about him.” Jimmy noticed she sounded slightly upset,

“I swear to Satan Valery, if he hurt you or upset you, you better tell Jimmy, I will rip his balls off and staple them to his big stupid… stupid head!” A soft giggle broke from Val’s lips and traveled through to Jimmy’s phone.

“Seriously Jim, I love you and I would tell you but I really don’t think I should. Matt needs to tell you by himself. And as pissed off as I am with him I can’t… I guess the part that is still in love with the big oaf wants to protect him so promise me you wont hurt him, okay? I doubt this is easy on Matt, it’s a lot to deal with and accept, and before you say it, I know that won’t make sense but it will once he tells you. Just ignore his difficultness until he finds his balls and is a man for a few seconds—“

“Val, what has he done, has he got you pregnant? Has he hurt you?—“ Val laughed again,

“Jimmy, I know Matt can have a temper and be a bit irrational sometimes but he wouldn’t hurt anyone close to him, you know tha—“

“He beat Brian up! Twice in two days!” Jimmy quickly interjected in disbelief, “TWICE! We had to take Brian to hospital yesterday cuz Matt broke his ribs and the second time was this morning. When we got back from the hospital yesterday we found Matt passed out under the TV he pulled on himself and smashed up, he destroyed absolutely everything on the bus, and I mean everything Val! There was so much blood… Listen, we’re seriously worried, that’s why I called you! We just wanna know what’s up with our best friend, Val, we wanna help, but he’s just pushing us all away. We don’t know what to do and Brian can’t take his punches forever….” There was complete silence from both ends before Val eventually let out a heavy sigh,

“I don’t know what to say Jimmy… I really shouldn’t tell you. I can’t believe he’s hurting Brian of all people. He’s really not helping himself. I tell you what… I’ll talk to him, maybe he’ll listen me, and maybe if I speak to him it might get through his thick head that he needs to stop and think about what he’s doing, okay? I can’t promise it’ll do anything Jim-Jam but It’s worth a try. What time is it there?”

“Thanks Val, it’s worth a shot i guess, we’re getting nowhere. And it’s almost…. Quarter past 5.”

“Okay Jim, I’ll—“

“Val, we’re good friends right?”

“Uhh, of course.”

“And you’d answer me straight if I had a serious and very important question.. right?”

“Of course Jimmy.”

“Well… Will you tell me why you and Matt aren’t together anymore, that is… assuming you’re not together…”

“Jimmy, please, don’t put me in this position, it’s probably the same reason he’s acting like this and I can’t tell you, it’s not my secr-reason.” She sighed heavily, “It’s not my reason to tell, it’s Matt’s. Please Jimmy, it’ll work out, but promise me you’ll be supportive of Matt when he comes out— his reason, I mean. Oh you know what I'm saying.” She covered up casually with a small laugh, “When his reason for acting like this, for you know, behaving like this comes out in the open and all gets settled out.” She reiterated to be clear.

“Yeah, Val, I get ya….” Jimmy trailed off, not wanting to promise he’ll not do something he’d regret,

“And I promise you, Val, I will be supportive of my friend and I won’t fight him or do anything silly or too Rev-crazy…” She prompted with a smile on her face, she could just imagine the plots her lanky friend was creating already, Jimmy sighed and rolled his eyes though he knew he couldn’t win against this DiBendetto sister.

“And I promise you, Val, I will be supportive of my friend and I something something something… I uhh, I forgot the rest.”

“I won’t fight him or do anything Rev-crazy.”

“You won't fight him or do anything Val-crazy.”

“James Owen Sullivan, don't get smart with me.” A smile crept its way onto her face, Jimmy could hear it in her voice and couldn’t hold back a smile from tainting his features too.

“I won’t fight him or do anything ‘Rev-crazy’” He recited like a boy scout.

“Good. Now i have to go stop my sister using Brian’s credit card she found, but just remember you promised me that!”

“Okay, thanks for the chat, See ya.” As Val said her last goodbye, the phone conversation ended and the three boys sat in silence thinking through what was said.

“I’m just even more confused now.” Johnny stated, eyebrows furrowed in a way Jimmy thought made him look cute, he reached an arm out to stroke his large fingertips down the front of the younger mans face in an anything-but-gentle manner, as he cocked his head to the side and voiced his agreement,

“Yeeeeeeeeeeeah” His hand dropped to Johnny lap when it ended its journey down his face, he finished his lengthened word at that time too. “Maybe he just needs to get laid.” Zack rose a perfectly arched eyebrow at the drummer,

“And you figure this how?” Jimmy removed his hand from the bassists lap and sat forward ready to explain his theories,

“Well! If his boxers and half-boners are anything to go by, we have good reason to believe he’s got one helluva horsecock.” Jimmy concluded.

“Got big feet too.” Johnny added seeing his friends logic. Zack, however, did not.

“… What?” He stared incredulously at his bandmates, “Wh… what!” Jimmy sighed and dragged one hand down his face and his other hand down Johnny’s face, stunning the smaller man for a moment, he raised an eyebrow at the bassist while pointing at Zack,

“Can you believe this guy?” Jimmy shook his head, “Well, dear Zacky, I’ll put it in simple terms for you. Big dick, big balls. Big balls, big ball-sac. Big ball-sac, lots of testosterone. Lots of testosterone, high sex-drive. High sex-drive, need, lots, of, sex. If Val and Matt aren’t together, Matt ain't getting any and probably hasn't been for a while. So… He needs to get laid.” Jimmy concluded with a shrug, he rubbed his hands together grinning ear to ear. As far as he was concerned he was a genius right now and Detective Sullivan really had solved this case. Zack just stared at his friend slightly concerned before blurting out the most prominent thought on his mind right now,

“Did you really just go into detail about Matt’s dick? Gross…. You were thinking about Matt’s dick, dude. Quite a lot, too.” Jimmy’s grin dropped to a frown.

“Lets just go to a bar after the show and try hooking Matt up, yeah?”

“Mmkay, I guess it kinda seems logical.”

“Exactly!” Jimmy exclaimed, leading them into a chorus of laughter.

“Oh wait!” Johnny interjected, “Brian’s not gonna want to go, he’ll probably be in too much pain…. Hell, how’s he even gonna play the damn show! It’s too late to cancel.” That quickly killed the laughter and light mood,

“I guess we’ll have to ask him…” Zack replies as the door swings open, banging harshly against the side of the bus, the boys quickly fall silent as they already know who it’ll be. Matt steps in, knuckles bandaged and aviators on so he can avoid everyone’s gaze.